Saturday, 21 May 2016

So I'm basically the worst at finding the motivation to write these days. Even as something as simple and fun as Starting Sparks! Emily and Ashely went to the trouble of making it, the least I can do is participate a little.

And so, I try again:

I love the open-ended possibilities in this prompt. I mean, all the prompts are open-ended, obviously, but this one just seems like it could go so many ways. Exciting! :D

For this one, I decided to go back to the characters from my very first prompt story, because they're fun, and I like them. X) I also decided to combine this month's prompt with the one from last month, since I never got to that one, and really, why not? This was April's prompt, btw:

So, let's get to it!!

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Humans are so curious. So complex. So cruel." Nex peered through the Dimensional Telescope at 21st century Earth. "All the murder. Mayhem. Malice. It's mindboggling."Seated at the station on the other side of the room, Thalion didn't raise his eyes from the readouts of the Celestial Projection machine. He jotted down a few notes. "If you're trying to make a serious point, you need to stop the alliteration.""Alright, absolutely agreed." was the cheeky reply."Hmph." Thalion scrawled out some more numbers into the air beside himself and waved them all into a notes folder before turning to look at his protege. "You seem to have a particular interest in the humans lately. And the telescope seems very closely focused. What exactly are you watching?""I'm just studying them! And trying to make sure they don't escape the third dimension. AGAIN."Thalion rubbed a hand through his thick white beard, suspicious. "Alright." He faced his machine again and turned a dial on the side. "Just don't forget to keep an eye on the other races, as well.""I know, I know." Nex's voice was faint and distracted. Then a gasp ripped out of him, and made Thalion jump. "No. Not you. Anyone but you.""Nex?" Thalion swiveled in his chair to ask what was the matter, but Nex wasn't at the Telescope anymore. Footsteps sounded to the right, and Thalion looked just in time to see the younger god disappear in a flash of light. Nex's blue robe fell to the ground, the silver charms woven into the fabric preventing it's transport. Thalion could only stare in stunned disbelief. Nex had . . . . He'd taken the Teleporter. To Earth? But why?

~*~

Nex was falling. Beams of white and blue light shot upwards past him, like he was dropping down a tunnel made of stars. The air was getting heavier. Dirtier. It smelled like soot and sweat. Nex coughed, choking on it. Then he saw it. The dark alley. His destination; frozen in time. Chest heaving as his lungs fought to accept the polluted air, Nex prepared himself. Three . . . two . . . one.He hit the ground running the second the light tunnel disappeared. Two long, pumping strides, and then he dove. The bullet whizzed by his head, nicking his ear, but he completed his roll, his arms cradled protectively around Sage. Her shocked, shuddering gasp was all he heard before he was on his feet and in the face of her attacker. It barely took ten seconds. The man, surprised by the sudden intrusion, hesitated a heartbeat before turning the gun on Nex. That was all the time Nex needed. He grabbed the wrist and elbow of the man's gun arm, and forcibly knocked the gun back into the man's nose. The man grunted and dropped the weapon, staggering back a step. Nex used a leg to knock the man's feet out from under him, and propelled the man into the alley wall. The man's head hit the brick, and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Nex stumbled back a few steps and sank to the ground himself, struggling for breath. Blood dripped from his ear, down his neck and onto his plain white shirt. "Are you ok?" Nex looked. Sage was sitting just a few feet away, half hidden in the darkness. He nodded, but it felt like he might pass out if he didn't get some decent air in his lungs soon. He slowed his breathing, trying to deepen it. "Are you?" "I think so. Thanks to you." There was a pause, then a timorous, "I-is he dead?"The lump on the ground was immobile, but breathing. "No." "Okay. That's good, probably. Can't stoop to their level, you know? Don't want a dead body on our hands." Her voice wavered, close to breaking. She was either nearing hysteria or shock. Or both. Nex wasn't quite sure how human emotions worked in times like these. Sufficiently re-oxygenated, Nex dragged himself to his feet and went over to her. "I'm Nex." He crouched down beside her. "What's your name?""S-Sage." They shook hands, both of them trembling with varied amounts of adrenaline and fear. "May I bring you home, Sage? Or to a police station? Or perhaps a hospital?""H-home. Home, I want to go home. I just want to go home.""Okay, let's go." He helped her to her feet, putting a supportive arm around her on his non-bloodied side. They were a filthy mess, the pair of them. Disgusting alleyways. Earth was not a clean place. No taxi made itself available, but Sage said her apartment wasn't far. They made their way down the street on foot as quickly as they could. As they went, Nex looked up at the few stars that were visible through the city's electric haze. He'd never taken the Teleporter before. Thalion had forbidden it. And with good reason. Because now that he was here . . . .

He didn't know how to get back.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Okay, so I actually didn't incorporate the April one that much. BUT! The intention was there! And if I were to write more on this subject, it would become clear that Sage was the one most people didn't notice. But Nex noticed! And together they will do great things. Or something. So even though I didn't exactly follow the April prompt, it DID give me the inspiration for half of this story. So it totally counts.

About Me

Hi! I'm Rachel, a Christian, Canadian, tea-drinker, cat-petter, and lover of all things artsy-fartsy. Other interests also include sleeping, dancing, reading, eating, and sleeping. And fangirling. And watching TV. And playing video games. And sleeping.